Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-05-05
THE LATE DOCTOR J. q. HOL-
LANDS OPINION.
A Physician Climbing the Editorial
Stairs.

A Physician Climbing the Editorial
Stairs.
The columns of the newspapers APP
pear to be flooded with proprietary med
| icine advertisements. AS we cast our
eve over them, it brings TO mind an ar
ticle that was published by the late DR..
Holland IN ScriJcr'S Monthly. He
says: Nevertheless, il is n fact that
many of the best proprietary medicines
of the day were more successful than
many physicians, and most OF them, 1t
should be remembered, were ut first dis.
covered or used in actual medical prac-
tice. When, however, any Shrewd per
son, knowing .heir virtue, aud foresee-
ing their popularity, secures and adviS-
rs them, then, in the opinion of the hi
goted, all virtue went out of them"
Is not this absurd ? This great man
appreciated the real merits of popular
remedies, and the absurdity of those
that derided them because public atten-
tion was called To the article and the
evidence of their cures. If the most
noted physician should announce that
he had made Il study of any certain or
gan or disease of the body, or make his
sign larger than the code size, though
he may have practiced medicine and
been leader in all medical counsels,
Notwithstanding al this, if he should
presume TO advertise and decline to
give his discovery to the public, he
would be pronounced quack and Il
humbur, although he may have spent
his entire life and all his available funds
in perfrcting his investigation. Again
we say, "abSurd."
If an ulcer is found upon ones arm,
and is cured by some dear soul of IA
grandmother, outside of the code, ii
will be pronounced bv the medical pro
feSSion an ulcer of little Importance.
But if treated under the code, causing
SeepleSs nights for month, with the
scientific treatment, VIZ, p,aSters, wash
eS, dosing with morphine, arsenic and
other vile substances, given TO prevent
blood poisoning or deaden pain, and yet
the ulcer becomes malignant, and am
putation is made necessary at last, to
save life, yet all done according to the
"ismS" of the medical code, this is
much more gratifying 10 the medical
profession, and adds moro dignity 70
that distinguished order than to he cur
ed 10y the dear old grandmother rem
edy.
This appears like severe arraiGn-
ment, yet we believe that il expresses
the true standing of the medical pro-
feSSion in regard toremedieS discovered
outside Of their special "iSms." One
of the most perpleXing things of the
day is the popularity OF certain rene
dies, especially Warmers safe cure,
which We find for sale everywhere. The
physician of the highest standing is
ready to concede its merits and sustain
the theories the proprietors have made
that is, that il benefits in most of the
ailments of the human system, because
it assists in putting the kidneys in prop
er condition, thereby aiding in throw
ing off the impurities of the blood while
others with less honesty and experience
deride, and are willing TO see their pa
tient die scientifically and according 10
the code, rather than have him cured
by this great remedy. Yet we notice
that the popularity of the medicine
continues to grow year by year. The
diScOverer comes boldly before the peo-
pie with its merits, and proclaims them
from door to door in our opinion much
more honorably than the physician who,
perchance, may secure a patient from
some catastrophe, and is permitted TO
set bone of an arm or Il finger, which
he does with great dignity, yet very
soon after takes the liberty TO climb the
editors back stairs at = O'Clock in the
morning to have it announced in the
morning paper that "Dr. So-and-so was
in attendance" and thus secures for
his benefit beautiful and free adver-
tisement. We shall leave it to our
readers to say which is the wisest and
most honorable.